A Fairytale Reveal
by katie1999
Summary: After Diego had read Victoria some fairytales, she gets an idea how to find out Zorro's identity.


**A Fairytale Reveal**

Victoria looked at the piece of black cloth in her hands. Now that she had cleaned it and washed out the blood, her own blood, it no longer clumped together so much and she could make out its shape. Zorro had ripped it out from his shirt to bandage her when she had been shot. The wound had healed since, but she still remembered her pain and the horror on Zorro's face when he thought she'd die there in his arms.

As a reminder of the events she had kept the piece of Zorro's shirt. It was only a rag now and of no use anymore. But then she thought of a fairy tale Diego had read to her a few evenings ago. It was about a prince who fell in love with a beautiful woman at a ball. He wanted to marry her, but she had left the ball before he could find out her name. All she left behind was a glass shoe. The prince then vowed he'd marry the girl who fit the shoe. Victoria began to smile and a plan began to form in her mind.

The next day in the tavern she made her announcement. Holding the folded cloth over her head, she told everyone that she would marry the man who presented her a black shirt that would fit this piece of cloth in the next three days.

After the general surprise turned to wild gossip among her customers, Diego came over to the bar to talk to her. "Do you think this is wise, Victoria?"

"Why don't you like it, Diego?" Victoria challenged him.

"Because I think you will achieve nothing with this. How many men do you think will be willing to come forward if they have to admit they are Zorro at the same time?"

"If a man wants to marry me he'll only have to present the matching black shirt!"

"It's a bad idea, Victoria. How will you know that the man who shows you his black shirt is the right one?"

"I have this piece of cloth to compare the pieces. And if Zorro wants to marry me, he'll claim me. You'll see, Diego!"

Diego only shook his head. "Just do what you think you must, Victoria. I'm afraid you'll be very disappointed when nothing comes of it. How many black shirts do you think there are in this pueblo? Except for Zorro nobody wears black shirts."

"All the better! It will only make it easier for me to find my Zorro with this piece of shirt, Diego!" Victoria didn't waiver despite Diego's disagreement.

Z Z Z

Proving Diego wrong, Don Pedro came to the tavern the next day, showing her a black shirt. "Senorita Victoria, please do me the favor and become my wife. I have the black shirt you requested."

Under the curious eyes of the gathered guests he unfolded a black shirt on one of the tables. Victoria only needed one look to see that it wasn't the right one.

"This is a caballero shirt with ruffles in front and it isn't even missing a piece!" Victoria exclaimed. "Why do you think I'd fall for this, Don Pedro?"

Guiltily the man looked at her. "You are a beautiful woman, Senorita Escalante. I'd be honored if you married me."

"I'm sorry, Don Pedro. I love Zorro. I want to marry him, and no one else." Don Pedro nodded sadly, folded his shirt and quietly left the tavern.

Z Z Z

The next day a farmer she had never seen before came forward with a black shirt. He was tall and had broad shoulders. But when she looked at the shirt she was relieved. It was missing a piece of cloth on the wrong side, and the shirt was plain linen, not silk as the one Zorro wore.

"Don't you think you should stop this foolish plan?" Diego asked her. "So far it has only brought you two impostors, Victoria."

Victoria shook her head. "There is still tomorrow and I'm sure Zorro will come!"

On the third day the tavern was crowded like never before, as the whole pueblo was curious if Zorro would make an appearance and claim his love.

But instead of Zorro it was Don Fernando who stepped forward to present her his black shirt. Incredulously she looked at him as he unfolded it on one of the tables. It was a black silk shirt with no ruffles and a piece of cloth was missing on the left side about the same size as the one Zorro had used as a bandage.

"Well, Senorita Escalante, will you marry me?" Don Fernando asked her. "Here is the shirt as you wanted, now I want you to keep your promise!"

"But you can't be Zorro!" she exclaimed. "Zorro is much taller and much younger than you!" Helplessly she looked around.

"You never said anything about the man when you made your announcement, Senorita," Don Fernando insisted and Victoria didn't know what to say.

"Don Fernando is right about that," Diego agreed with him, stepping forward. "But I think I may be of help." Expectantly the gathered crowd looked at him. "Victoria, would you please give me the cloth from Zorro's shirt?" Victoria handed him the requested item and Diego unfolded it carefully, laying it next to Don Fernando's shirt. Then he pointed out the differences.

"The material of the cloth may be similar, but Don Fernando's shirt is of much thinner cloth than the one from Zorro. I don't think it would last a fight without ripping apart." Those close enough felt both parts in their hands and nodded in agreement. "And if you look at the two pieces you'll see that the parts don't match exactly." Diego pointed at the seams. "Don Fernando's shirt looks as if it was cut by scissors while the other one was torn apart."

"Thank you, Diego," Victoria beamed at him. "So do you still insist on marrying me?" she addressed Don Fernando.

"It was worth a try, Senorita Escalante. Too bad that Don Diego was so clever to see through it." Don Fernando said angrily. "I wonder who has a black shirt that is missing a part."

Leaning against the bar Victoria looked at the black cloth in her hand. Who had a black shirt like this? She decided simply to ask.

"Victoria? Victoria?" she heard someone call her and it took her a moment to become aware of herself. She looked into Diego's blue eyes as he bent over her. "Does your black shirt have a piece missing, Diego?"

"Of course, my black shirt is alright! What are you talking about, Victoria?" Diego asked her puzzled. "Why are you asking that?"

Only then she realized that she was sitting on a bench in the kitchen and wasn't standing at the bar.

"Why am I here in the kitchen, Diego? A moment ago I was standing at the bar."

"No, you weren't, Victoria," Diego corrected her. "I was looking for you and found you fast asleep here in the kitchen. I kept you so late reading fairy tales at the hacienda yesterday. It's no wonder you're tired today."

"Yesterday? It was only yesterday you read me the tale of Cinderella?" Victoria asked surprised. "But I thought..."

"What did you dream, Victoria, that you wake up asking such strange questions?" Diego was curious.

"Wait a minute, Diego!" Victoria eyed him suspiciously, coming to her senses. "I may have been dreaming when you woke me, but I was awake when I asked you about your shirt. You said that your black shirt was fine. So why do you have a black shirt, Diego? Black shirts aren't very fashionable among the caballeros, are they?"

Victoria rose from the bench, standing close to Diego. Taking a closer look at him than she had in years, she noticed that his height matched that of Zorro and his eyes were of the same blue.

"I think you just slipped with your answer earlier, Diego. I think there's only one reason why you have a black shirt. You are Zorro! Am I right?"

Diego didn't know what to say, searching his mind for an answer. Finally he gave in, sighing. "I'm curious to know what you were dreaming earlier." He smiled at her. "You caught me by surprise, Victoria. I am Zorro." He took a step closer to her, then whispered, "What will you do now?"

Victoria produced an impish grin. "Zorro and I are breaking up. I'm going to find comfort in the arms of my best friend, Diego." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as she whispered, "I'm going to hold you in my arms, and never let you go."

* * *

_A/N: Thank you Marla for betaing and correcting my stories. I like your suggestions._


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